NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
308 reportsMileage unknown · Dec 17, 2021
Air Bags
The dashboard airbag warning light comes on, and the dashboard says "Service Airbag". The car chimes, and it (the message and light) usually goes away within 10 seconds. If it stays, when I push down on the passenger seat and then let go the message will go away, and the airbag light will go off. This condition happens when ther…
Read full complaint
The dashboard airbag warning light comes on, and the dashboard says "Service Airbag". The car chimes, and it (the message and light) usually goes away within 10 seconds. If it stays, when I push down on the passenger seat and then let go the message will go away, and the airbag light will go off. This condition happens when there is a passenger and when there is not a passenger and is an intermittent fault. More and more reports of this issue are becoming more common. History codes in the Passenger Presence System point to the passenger seat sensor. In order to solve the issue, you have to replace the sensor in the seat. The sensor replacement requires a tech to remove the seat, open it, change the part and then reinstall it. This service charges ~$1,200 at my dealership. This is a safety issue that has been well-documented in a large number of official reports, and reports online. This is also something that GM knows about and is refusing to fix on affected vehicles.
NHTSA ODI #11444178
Mileage unknown · Dec 6, 2021
Visibility/wiper
Windshield wiper motor failure. There was a GM safety recall (15789) on the 2013 Chevy Volt but my VIN wasn't included in the recall. It seems like it should've been as I'm having the same issue as other 2013 Chevy Volt's had with windshield wiper motor failure.
NHTSA ODI #11442908
87,000 miles · Nov 8, 2021
Electrical System
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the service high charging system and the propulsion power reduced warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the charging port system and unknown fluid battery to be replace…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the service high charging system and the propulsion power reduced warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the charging port system and unknown fluid battery to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that his son replaced the charging port. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
NHTSA ODI #11439667
Mileage unknown · Nov 7, 2021
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower Train
When Im driving on the hi way, it sounds like it keeps accelerating, sounds like its going to explode. The pulsation warning comes on, then the pulsation warning will go away and the sound goes away.
NHTSA ODI #11439619
78,000 miles · Nov 3, 2021
Electrical System
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, a warning message appear a propulsion power reduction and the vehicle began to lose power and reduce in speed while the contact was driving. The contact was able to pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes and restart…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, a warning message appear a propulsion power reduction and the vehicle began to lose power and reduce in speed while the contact was driving. The contact was able to pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes and restart the vehicle and continue to drive to their residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as the propulsion battery would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was appromaxtley 78,000.
NHTSA ODI #11439207
78,000 miles · Nov 3, 2021
Electrical System
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, a warning message appear a propulsion power reduction and the vehicle began to lose power and reduce in speed while the contact was driving. The contact was able to pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes and restart…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, a warning message appear a propulsion power reduction and the vehicle began to lose power and reduce in speed while the contact was driving. The contact was able to pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes and restart the vehicle and continue to drive to their residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as the propulsion battery would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was appromaxtley 78,000.
NHTSA ODI #11439205
78,000 miles · Nov 3, 2021
Electrical System
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the propulsion power reduction message was displayed, and the vehicle began to lose power and the speed was reduced while driving. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road, waited a few minutes, and then restarted the ve…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the propulsion power reduction message was displayed, and the vehicle began to lose power and the speed was reduced while driving. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road, waited a few minutes, and then restarted the vehicle and continued to his residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the propulsion battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
NHTSA ODI #11439204
150,000 miles · Nov 1, 2021
Air Bags
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the air bag message “Service Air Bag” and the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger’s side seat air bag sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. T…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the air bag message “Service Air Bag” and the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger’s side seat air bag sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist as his VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA ODI #11438937
Mileage unknown · Oct 29, 2021
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainUnknown Or Other
There is a bearing that fails in the motor which is a safety issue and should be recalled. It causes the engine/transmission to lock up and become inoperable which can result in a crash. They even issued a bulletin regarding it (PIP5081), yet they have been refusing to cover it under warranty for me as well. This needs to be rec…
Read full complaint
There is a bearing that fails in the motor which is a safety issue and should be recalled. It causes the engine/transmission to lock up and become inoperable which can result in a crash. They even issued a bulletin regarding it (PIP5081), yet they have been refusing to cover it under warranty for me as well. This needs to be recalled and all affected owners should be reimbursed for any expenses they paid regarding this issue. General Motors must be held accountable for this safety issue. This has been confirmed by the dealer and all of these vehicles are experiencing the issue.
NHTSA ODI #11438594
Mileage unknown · Oct 1, 2021
Fuel/propulsion System
My 2013 Volt has turned off while driving on multiple occasions, usually while on the highway. I have taken it to the Chevy dealer on several occasions and they are unable to find the problem. The vehicle "Propulsion System" warning has come on when the car suddenly decelerated while on the highway and eventually turned off. …
Read full complaint
My 2013 Volt has turned off while driving on multiple occasions, usually while on the highway. I have taken it to the Chevy dealer on several occasions and they are unable to find the problem. The vehicle "Propulsion System" warning has come on when the car suddenly decelerated while on the highway and eventually turned off. The vehicle is at the Chevy dealer who tells me they cells were not balanced and is no longer functioning. They are unable to replace the battery because Chevy is not releasing them so now the car is a paperweight in their parkinglot. Stopping on the highway is a serious problem.
NHTSA ODI #11435120
Official recalls
3Jul 27, 2023
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camero, Sonic, and Volt vehicles. The driver-side air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module, free of charge. On some 2013 Volt vehicles, the steering wheel will be replaced as well, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232413120.
Jun 14, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. An update to the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2 (HPCM2) may have disabled the cell balancing function causing a low-voltage condition.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the voltage drops, the vehicle may lose propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the HPCM2, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18215.
Mar 13, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Volt vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, to June 26, 2013. If the driver exits the vehicle without turning off the electrical system, the battery may drain low enough that the gasoline engine will automatically start itself to recharge the electric battery.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Volt vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, to June 26, 2013. If the driver exits the vehicle without turning off the electrical system, the battery may drain low enough that the gasoline engine will automatically start itself to recharge the electric battery.
Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Volt vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, to June 26, 2013. If the driver exits the vehicle without turning off the electrical system, the battery may drain low enough that the gasoline engine will automatically start itself to recharge the electric battery.
Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
PE19013 · Passenger Sensing System
Opened Sep 17, 2019 · Closed Jul 2, 2021
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
In September 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-013 to assess the potential safety related effects of a malfunction of the Passenger Sensing System (PSS) in 2012-2013 Model Year (MY) Chevrolet Volt vehicles. Consumers reported that due to a malfunction of the PSS, the air bag system malfunction indicator light (MIL) was activated. Many of the complaints noted the malfunction occurred after the warranty period expired and mentioned high repair costs as a major deterrent to the repair of the vehicle.The PSS sensor mat is embedded in the front passenger seat cushion and is intended to detect child seats and small statured occupants who could be harmed by deployment of the frontal passenger air bag. The PSS may develop a malfunction due to bunching of the sensor mat in the seat trench. The bunching of the sensor mat could cause the mat to repeatedly fold in the same location. Over time, the repeated folding can cause an increased resistance in the sensor mat. An increased resistance in the PSS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the air bag system diagnostic. If this fault is detected, a diagnostic trouble code will be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag MIL will illuminate.Further, if the fault is detected, the passenger frontal and knee air bags will be suppressed in a crash of sufficient severity to warrant a commanded deployment regardless of the nature of size of the occupant of the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the PSS sensor mat. Reports alleging only that the air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where a different cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than a PSS malfunction.The subject vehicles have been in service for approximately ten (10) years. An analysis of General Motors (GM) warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar occupant detection system failure investigations, indicates the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.GM has instituted a cost reduction program for the repair/replacement of the PSS in the subject vehicles. Based on this cost reduction program as well as:1) a comparatively low warranty rate; 2) no reported injuries, deaths or asymmetric deployments; and 3) the age of the vehicles; ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.
Illustration